登陆注册
15364800000015

第15章 ROKURO-KUBI(1)

Nearly five hundred years ago there was a samurai,named Isogai Heidazaemon Taketsura,in the service of the Lord Kikuji,of Kyushu.This Isogai had inherited,from many warlike ancestors,a natural aptitude for military exercises,and extraordinary strength.While yet a boy he had surpassed his teachers in the art of swordsmanship,in archery,and in the use of the spear,and had displayed all the capacities of a daring and skillful soldier.Afterwards,in the time of the Eikyo [1]war,he so distinguished himself that high honors were bestowed upon him.But when the house of Kikuji came to ruin,Isogai found himself without a master.He might then easily have obtained service under another daimyo;but as he had never sought distinction for his own sake alone,and as his heart remained true to his former lord,he preferred to give up the world.so he cut off his hair,and became a traveling priest,--taking the Buddhist name of Kwairyo.

But always,under the koromo [2]of the priest,Kwairyo kept warm within him the heart of the samurai.As in other years he had laughed at peril,so now also he scorned danger;and in all weathers and all seasons he journeyed to preach the good Law in places where no other priest would have dared to go.For that age was an age of violence and disorder;and upon the highways there was no security for the solitary traveler,even if he happened to be a priest.

In the course of his first long journey,Kwairyo had occasion to visit the province of Kai.(1)One evening,as he was traveling through the mountains of that province,darkness overcame him in a very lonesome district,leagues away from any village.So he resigned himself to pass the night under the stars;and having found a suitable grassy spot,by the roadside,he lay down there,and prepared to sleep.He had always welcomed discomfort;and even a bare rock was for him a good bed,when nothing better could be found,and the root of a pine-tree an excellent pillow.His body was iron;and he never troubled himself about dews or rain or frost or snow.

Scarcely had he lain down when a man came along the road,carrying an axe and a great bundle of chopped wood.This woodcutter halted on seeing Kwairyo lying down,and,after a moment of silent observation,said to him in a tone of great surprise:--

"What kind of a man can you be,good Sir,that you dare to lie down alone in such a place as this?...There are haunters about here,--many of them.are you not afraid of Hairy Things?"

"My friend,"cheerfully answered Kwairyo,"I am only a wandering priest,--a 'Cloud-and-Water-Guest,'as folks call it:Unsui-no-ryokaku.(2)And I am not in the least afraid of Hairy Things,--if you mean goblin-foxes,or goblin-badgers,or any creatures of that kind.As for lonesome places,I like them:they are suitable for meditation.I am accustomed to sleeping in the open air:and I have learned never to be anxious aboutmy life."

"You must be indeed a brave man,Sir Priest,"the peasant responded,"to lie down here!This place has a bad name,--a very bad name.But,as the proverb has it,Kunshi ayayuki ni chikayorazu ['The superior man does not needlessly expose himself to peril'];and I must assure you,Sir,that it is very dangerous to sleep here.Therefore,although my house is only a wretched thatched hut,let me beg of you to come home with me at once.In the way of food,I have nothing to offer you;but there is a roof at least,and you can sleep under it without risk."

He spoke earnestly;and Kwairyo,liking the kindly tone of the man,accepted this modest offer.The woodcutter guided him along a narrow path,leading up from the main road through mountain-forest.It was a rough and dangerous path,--sometimes skirting precipices,--sometimes offering nothing but a network of slippery roots for the foot to rest upon,--sometimes winding over or between masses of jagged rock.But at last Kwairyo found himself upon a cleared space at the top of a hill,with a full moon shining overhead;and he saw before him a small thatched cottage,cheerfully lighted from within.The woodcutter led him to a shed at the back of the house,whither water had been conducted,through bamboo-pipes,from some neighboring stream;and the two men washed their feet.

Beyond the shed was a vegetable garden,and a grove of cedars and bamboos;and beyond the trees appeared the glimmer of a cascade,pouring from some loftier height,and swaying in the moonshine like a long white robe.

As Kwairyo entered the cottage with his guide,he perceived four persons --men and women --warming their hands at a little fire kindled in the ro [1]of the principle apartment.They bowed low to the priest,and greeted him in the most respectful manner.Kwairyo wondered that persons so poor,and dwelling in such a solitude,should be aware of the polite forms of greeting."These are good people,"he thought to himself;"and they must have been taught by some one well acquainted with the rules of propriety."Then turning to his host,--the aruji,or house-master,as the others called him,--Kwairyo said:--

"From the kindness of your speech,and from the very polite welcome given me by your household,I imagine that you have not always been a woodcutter.Perhaps you formerly belonged to one of the upper classes?"

Smiling,the woodcutter answered:--

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 小道仙途

    小道仙途

    给你一个不同的仙侠传说,给你一个不同的神话世界,这里没有仙只有拥有力量的人,这里没有YY的猪脚,只有善良的小道,这里没有无敌的光环,只有坑不了再打,打不了在坑的战斗。远古的神话的人物是真的不食人间烟火吗,答案很简单……
  • 没事儿讲个鬼故事

    没事儿讲个鬼故事

    你喜欢看鬼故事吗?那么,请你遵照我的规矩:关好门,锁好窗,拉窗帘,闭上灯;不要让一丝光渗进这里;无论有任何动静,都不要离开这里;因为我,将带领你,进入一个神秘而恐怖的世界
  • 剑神傲天

    剑神傲天

    一名少年,一个梦想,一次穿越,改变了他的命运,剑神傲天。
  • 爱情是一部忧伤而美丽的童话

    爱情是一部忧伤而美丽的童话

    醒醒就像天下所有地小女生一样,喜欢蜷在自己暖暖得小窝里蒙头睡觉,从昏暗到天光。喜欢一遍一遍地听一首美妙而动听的歌,喜欢读一篇篇忧伤而绚烂地故事。森林里地故事都记在树叶上呢!醒醒拖了一大卷树叶进了洞,她点燃了一只用松子做成的蜡烛,轻轻地靠在了自己小窝边缘。醒醒随手拿起一片叶子,静静地阅读,叶子上写着一个题目:爱情是一部忧伤而美丽的童话。
  • 不过年少

    不过年少

    夏婼梨的初二时光里出现了许多人,有她们,还有她的初恋。她们四人获称4人帮,也各自找到了属于自己的那个他。年幼的他们结局早已注定了。夏偌即答应婼梨会回来。然而,夏婼梨从来没有抱着他会回来找她的希望。数年以来,她就像其他人一样,也会怀念初恋,不过也只是怀念,她只当他是场梦。毕竟,她已经有了一个相恋多年的男朋友,而且订婚将至。她事业有成,感情有戏,每天过得也算潇洒,偏偏与这个早已成了她的梦境的他,夏偌即重逢了。
  • 天凉:好个秋

    天凉:好个秋

    既然选择了以天下苍生为己任,就不能后退,不能后悔。许凉秋,想要成为一代女侠,就要付出别人不敢付出的,亲情,或许爱情。武侠的世界,圣安寺、许府、罗斯教,不过是在进行一场豪赌,对手未必不是朋友。这里有一个关于子苏和凉秋的故事,愿他们的挣扎和坚持,让你驻足。
  • 霸爱:残情帝少的小逃妻

    霸爱:残情帝少的小逃妻

    22岁的女大学生林夏原本应该过着平凡的生活,却因为自己看的一本灵异小说,无故穿越镜子进入了另一个世界。“拜托,本小姐哪里看起来不像女生,我不就是没谈过恋爱、对帅哥不感冒吗……”事实证明,林夏不是对帅哥不感冒,而是没有遇到真正意义上的“帅哥”,可是为什么这个帅哥这么低气压,且脾气暴怒,“喂,虽然说你长得是很帅,但是,谁是你女人啊,快滚蛋。本小姐不稀罕你...唔...”说错话的某女被某男狠狠的蹂躏了一番,“...我错了,有话好好说行不?”某女睁着清澈的大眼可怜兮兮道。某男霸道一揽“不行……”你不是残暴嗜血、冷酷无情的矍少吗?难不成被掉包了?某女泪奔……
  • 零月蚀的假面剧情小说

    零月蚀的假面剧情小说

    零.月蚀的假面剧情小说
  • 神妖仙怪

    神妖仙怪

    恭祝你新年快乐!祝你在新的一年里:身体健康!工作顺利!生活美满!合家幸福!喜气萦绕!想不发财都困难!好事多!欢乐多多!"满天的烟花是飞舞的音符,以思念谱成乐章,用祝福秦出所盼,带给你快乐的新年!""新年到,向你问个好,办事处处顺,生活步步高,彩票期期中,好运天天交,家中出黄金,墙上长钞票!希望朋友们多支持我,鼓励我,来一次投一次票,求收藏,非常谢谢。到了第二天,他们远远地就看到那个媒婆朝他们家里走去,于是他们又变化三只蝴蝶飞了进去。只见媒婆对小伙子他说道:“女孩子说他父母死得早,无依无靠,想找一个对她好的。但是她不知道你们家的人好不好。我就给她出了一个主意,说要她到你们这里做做事,做饭洗衣之类,了解了解。女孩子就答应了。”小伙子他娘就说道:“那就让他今天就来,让我看看那个女孩子。”那个媒婆于是连忙站起身,故意不站稳,鞋子一下就掉了。媒婆说道:“孩子他娘,你看看,这山路真是不好走,我昨天穿的一双鞋,由于走山路,穿坏了,我今天又穿的另外一双鞋。我还要到家里回去一趟,我给女孩子还扯了一些花布。”小伙子他娘一听,连忙跑到家里去,拿一个大大银元宝给了媒婆,说道:“孩子的终身大事真是让你费心了,怎么还好意思让你花银两,这个你拿去。”媒婆一听,连忙边拿边说道:“你看你,那我就恭敬不如从命了。”于是那个媒婆就走了出了大门。走出大门,接着又回头笑着说道:“孩子他娘,我下午就带女孩子过来。”小伙子他娘一听可喜欢了,连忙笑着说道:“我在家里等着你们的到来,我那里也不去。”灵灵说道:“这媒婆就知道要银两,今天又让她拿了一个大大的银元宝回去了。”神神就说道:“她就是靠说媒吃饭,你说,她不要银两,她又变不出银两来,她还到哪里要银两去。”尊尊就说道:“她是说媒的行家,她就靠说媒吃饭的,现钱不抓不是行家。”这时那个小伙子又要准备去到山上去练剑,孩子他娘说道:“孩子,你今天就不要去了,今天那个女孩子要过来。”
  • 花严经疏卷第三

    花严经疏卷第三

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。